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Tigger500, The Soundtrack (Your Life's Soundtrack W/O)Jul 22 '05 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Ummm, Justin (whisperscream) made me do it. If you don't like it. Blame him.
Justin (whispercream) begged me to do this. And since the boy won't ever leave me alone and insists on being the biggest pest alive, I indulged him. Plus, it's a damn fine idea. Y'all know what this is. If your life was a movie, what would be the soundtrack. Look at mine and see it would be a strange soundtrack indeed. I actually tried to just copy down the list as Justin gave it to me and then just free-associate. If I took too long coming up with a song, I'd skip it and go to the next. If when I came back, I still couldn't I deleted or gave myself another category. This is the end result. I think it captures who I am remarkably well. Opening Credits: TLC, “Intro-lude of CrazySexyCool” As corny as it sounds, the concept behind this album was madd complex and fascinating to me when I was 15. The idea of being a complicated individual who makes no apologies is how I live my life. Plus musically, this sets the tone for the sonic marvel that is CrazySexyCool. Waking Up: Dolly Parton, "9 to 5" Because living with a 40-something aunt who just swore she was a white southern belle inflicted many scars, but goes great with a big ole southern breakfast while this drivel plays on in the background. Average Day: Ice Cube, “I Gotta Say It Was A Good Day” Laconic never fit a brotha so well. Cube, the multi-faceted brotha he is, created the song that I always think of when my day is good, but uneventful, smooth, but snail-paced. Great Day: Michael Jackson, “Jam” Because it’s the most purely fun record the man ever made. Awful Day: Brand Nubian, “Don’t Let It Go To Your Head” It’s all about perspective. For me, this song just makes me feel better about having had a sh-i-tty day. First Date: Guy, “Teddy’s Jam” (any of ‘em, really) and BLACKstreet, “Baby Be Mine” Cause you need the confidence of the original new jack swing king to gas you up for your first proper take-her-out-movies-dinner-walk-near-the-gazebo-at-night kinda date. First kiss: Keith Sweat, “Make It Last Forever” Because I had mine to this song. Duh. Falling In Love: Stevie Wonder, “As” Is there a better song for falling in love? I think not. Love Scene: Maxwell, “Til The Cops Come Knockin” ‘Cause if the sex doesn’t make you sweat and p-i-ss off the neighbors, you’re just doing it wrong. Energy and fun and play does not equal loud and sloppy and painful, just in case you missed the subtext. Afterglow: Janet Jackson, “Twenty Foreplay” In terms of conceit, it is clearly the best song Janet has ever written. And nothing feels more like that feeling after good sex like Janet. Fight Scene: Canibus, “Second Round Knockout” I just think this is the best f-u-cking diss record ever made. Canibus is clearly the most underrated MC of his generation. And yes, I love this and love LL still. Summer Vacation: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, “Summertime” No explanation needed. Even I can sometimes be cliché Running: Brownstone, “Grapevine” If you think about how measured the vocal performances are in this song, you’ll get an indication of how humming this song during cross country (and even now when I run) helps your breathing. Plus your whole team singing it on race day really freaks out the other team. Classic! Fight (with a lover): Michael Jackson, “Why You Wanna Trip On Me” Because I hate these kinds of fights. I truly believe they are all avoidable, so I tend to take Michael’s tack and figure out why the other person is buggin’. Breaking Up: Brandy, “Apart” She perfectly captures how it feels to be abandoned “emotionally” in a relationship and having to be the one to “officially” end it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, she’s the best, most unique, most consistent singer of her generation. Heartbroken: Stevie Wonder, “All in Love is Fair” I actually played this song over and over and over till my mother nearly threatened to kill me after my first love died. And because it is one of the few songs that makes me cry when I hear it. And that goes for the stellar version The Barrio Boyzz did in the 90s as well. Seeing an old love: Rahsaan Patterson, “Tears Ago” His vocals crack with the emotion of lost love. Song brings me to tears when I think of old love. F-u-ck Love, I’m done: Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight, “I Don’t Do Duets” Because it’s still my favorite song of all time. And it always reminds me of times when I was in love, or in “like” with a person. And how angry I am that I’m not. Getting Back Together: Rene and Angela, “You Don’t Have to Cry” Because no song is better at capturing love and healthy sharing of each other’s pains and sorrows than this jam. I still say that Adina Howard and Michael Speaks were disgustingly overlooked for their gorgeous rendition, but the original is a classic I can sorta understand the impulse to do so. Secret Love: Tevin Campbell, “Can We Talk” and Jon B, “Love Don’t Do” The innocence of love when you’re an adolescent is so reviled and belittled. That’s truly unfortunate. This song has an outsider feel. Tevin adds this depth to the song by injecting a quiet sadness to it. What a singer! On a more adult, passionate note, Jon B’s song perfectly captures that feeling of struggling with words to get the right person to realize you are the one. Secret Lust: Ying Yang Twins, “The Whisper Song” In my head, I loathe everything about this song. But this song is the DEFINITION of infectious. The track is the most unique piece of black music since The Neptunes track for "Grindin'". And it’s all about lust, in a way almost no other song recorded has ever been. Not a good thing at all in execution, but in theory, that’s quite a compliment. Getting ready to go out: Rahsaan Patterson, “So Hot” Man, this song gets me in the mood to go out and be sociable. In fact, its so infectious my friends now know the secret to get me out of my anti-social doldrums. Feeling Oppressed/Angry at the World: 2pac, “Me Against the World” It’s important that this song isn’t an “angry” song. It’s purposefully meditative, because the way in which we (black folks) self-actualize is very mundane in practice. So this song is perfect when I’m angry at inequality. Which is often and why I’ve been through over 10 copies of this album. Mental Breakdown: R. Kelly, “What I Feel/Issues” Structured as a rant/vomiting of all your problems, R. Kelly’s sonic breakdown makes me feel a little less crazy. Driving: Keith Murray, “It’s a Beautiful Thing” I play this album on all my road trips. Deep Thought: 2pac, “Words of Wisdom” This song for me was my political awakening. No other song so vividly spoke to dormant parts of my psyche and woke them the f-u-ck up. 2PACALYPSE Now remains the album to truly inspire, enrage, and empower me. Flashback: Patrick Swayze, “She’s Like the Wind” I’m not a huge fan of Dirty Dancing at all. However, this song evokes the period of the movie for me so vividly, that whenever I think back (in my head) this is the song that plays. Don’t ask me why. I have no bloody clue. Flirting: Positive K, “I Got a Man” I was a strange anomaly. I was tall and athletic, but not enough to win me girls at will. I did my dirt, no doubt, but it never seemed to be because I did the flirting. Yes, fellas, I was usually the one holla-d at, not the one to holla. No, I wasn’t corny like K, but I had (and still have) no game. I’ve always been direct, so in that way, this song works for me. Partying with friends/Non-club: 112, “Only You” and BLACKstreet, “No Diggity” It’s all about the corny house parties you throw when you’re bored, broke, and 16. Countless days were spent when we couldn’t get to NY in my house (or a friend’s) just listening to corny a-s-s songs and wildin’ the way only bored adolescents can. Dancing at a club: Jay-Z “Who You Wit” I came of age very young and very quickly in the NY hip-hop club scene around the Tunnel. It was all about seeing the local NY rappers who no one outside of NY even knew about yet. The song that encapsulates that time is very clearly this one. Happy Dance: C&C Music Factory, “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” 8th Grade. Choir medley of cheesy pop tunes. Me in purple MC Hammer-wear. Imitating Freedom Williams with my own pair of white-girl Zelma Davises. …awww, memories. Solitude: Janet Jackson, “Lonely” Quite possibly, the saddest modern pop song I’ve ever heard. Well, that is a gross exaggeration, but it remains for me the only song that makes me feel less lonely because I truly connect with the profound sense of lonliness in Janet. Michael never fully made you feel what it was like to be a Jackson. With this song (and The Velvet Rope), Janet did. Nostalgia: Timex Social Club, “Rumors” I must confess to having looked this up. I remember the song vividly, but I couldn’t remember who sang it. This puts me right back in my pre-adolescence, when songs like this are the “deepest” sh-i-t you ever heard. Wistful: Exposé, “December” If for no other reason than, it makes me remember simpler times (or the “idea” of simpler times). Plus, Exposé is one of those groups that is criminally forgotten. This song always had a calming effect on me. There is something about the synthesizers on this song that capture mood in a way few synthesized 80’s songs ever did. For that alone, it should be a classic. Well, to me…it is. Regretting: R. Kelly, “Don’t Put Me Out” I’m wit you, R., I’m wit you. Missing Someone: R. Kelly’s version of “Sadie” He captures such a sense of loss, which at the time I thought was very very unique. I have since heard a lot more music, but this song remains a favorite for me when I think of missing someone and need some música. Falling asleep: Jill Scott, “Still Here” ‘Cause maudlin is her trademark and nothing makes me more sleepy. Saying Goodbye: The goodnight song from Sound of Music Because it’s cheesy as hell and this exercise is harder than I thought. Plus an ironic sense of humor before I die, is just like me. Death Scene: The Final Score to The Talented Mr. Ripley. Because while Ripley was chronically misunderstood, I think we all die bein’ a little misunderstood. And I really identify with Ripley’s struggle. Closing Credits: Rahsaan Patterson, “Humor” Strange sense of humor falling down from the ground, covering my body in sunshine and mud. Am I a friend or foe? I’d like to think I know but, sometimes I feel like I’m bold. Down on my knees and beggin’ for answers to questions, talk to me if you're listening. Open my eyes to the signs that they see you leave behind. A blind man can see more than I. I think that is the way I wanna go out.  |
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